BS Nutritional Sciences/MPH: Nutrition & Dietetics

BS / MPH

In the accelerated program, certain graduate-level courses you take as an undergraduate can “double count” – in other words, they fulfill requirements for your BS degree while also meeting requirements toward your MPH degree.

Likewise, some graduate courses that you take later in the program can “backward share” to satisfy some undergraduate requirements. This credit sharing is what makes it possible to finish both degrees faster. 

Credit sharing in the BS Nutritional Sciences/MPH-Nutrition & Dietetics AGD 

The accelerated graduate degree program uses 23 back-shared credits to the BS Nutritional Sciences for the completion of the undergraduate degree, and 12 forward-shared credits from the BS Nutritional Sciences for the completion of the MPH-Nutrition and Dietetics degree. The exact courses to be forward- and back-shared may vary.  

Sample 5-year Plan

Year 1

Fall	Credits	Spring	Credits	Summer	Credits
NUTR 101: New Student Seminar in Nutritional Sciences and Pre-dietetics	1	GER – OWCA (ENGLISH 102 or equiv)	3	Option to take courses to lighten academic year load, if desired
NUTR 241 Why We Eat What We Eat	3	NUTR 230 Health Aspects of Exercise & Nutrition	3
BIO SCI 202 Anatomy & Physiology I	4	BIO SCI 203 Anatomy & Physiology II	4
MATH 105 Intro to College Algebra (OR MATH 108)	3	CHEM 100 Chemical Science (if needed)	4
NUTR 235 Intro to Nutrition	3
Total	14	Total	14

Year 2

Fall	Credits	Spring	Credits	Summer	Credits
NUTR 110 Intro to Food Principles & Preparation	3	NUTR 245 Life Cycle Nutrition	3	Option to take courses to lighten academic year load, if desired
CHEM 101 Chemical Science	5	CHEM 103 Survey of Biochemistry	5
ENGLISH 205, 207 or 310	3	Cultural Diversity/Humanities course	3
COMMUN 103 Public Speaking	3	BIO SCI 150 Foundations of Biological Sciences I	4
PSYCH 101 Intro to Psych (or SOCIOL 101)	3
Total	17	Total	15

Year 3

Students could begin forward credit sharing while in undergraduate status in spring year 3.

Apply for Step 1 admission by October 1; Apply for Step 2 [conditional] admission by December 1.

Fall	Credits	Spring	Credits	Summer	Credits
NUTR 350 Nutrition Communication & Education	3	NUTR 355 Modifying Nutrition & Eating Behavior	3	NUTR 430G Advanced Nutrition & Metabolism	3
PH 101 Introduction to Public Health	3	HS 222 Language of Medicine	3	NUTR 702 Advanced Nutrition Education	3
KIN 270 Statistics in the Health Professions	3	PH 202, 302, or 319	3
BIOSCI 101 Intro to Microbiology	4	NUTR 701 Nutrition Counseling	3
GER – Art	3	PH 706 Perspectives on Comm & Behav Health	3
Total	16	Total	15	Total	6

Year 4

Students could begin graduate status in fall year 4.

Fall	Credits	Spring	Credits	Summer	Credits
PH 702 Introduction to Biostatistics	3	PH 704 Principles & Methods of Epidemiology	3	NUTR 796 Medical Nutr Therapy Field Experience	5
PH 705 Principles of Public Health Policy & Administration	3	NUTR 722 Medical Nutr Therapy II	4	NUTR 703 Culinary Nutrition Interventions	3
NUTR 574G Obesity & Weight Management	3	NUTR 555G Public Health Nutrition & Food Politics	3
NUTR 721 Medical Nutr Therapy I	4	PH 733 Overview of Qual Methods for Public Health	1
Total	13	Total	11	Total	8

Year 5

Fall	Credits	Spring	Credits	Summer	Credits
PH 790 Field Experience in Public Health	3	PH 800 Capstone in Public Health	2	NUTR 800 Professional Prep in Nutr & Dietetics	2
PH 791 Leadership in Public Health	1	NUTR 795 Food Systems Mgmt & Field Experience	5
PH 708 Health Systems & Population Health	3	NUTR 704 Curr & Emergent Issues in Nutr & Dietetics	1
PH 703 Environmental Health Sciences	3
Total	10	Total	8	Total	2

Graduate-level classes (completed while in undergraduate status) eligible for forward-sharing (12 max) towards the MPH-Nutrition and Dietetics 

MPH-Nutrition and Dietetics Courses	Credits
NUTR 430G Advanced Nutrition and Metabolism*	3
NUTR 555G Public Health Nutrition and Food Politics	3
NUTR 574G Obesity and Weight Management	3
NUTR 701 Nutrition Counseling*	3
NUTR 702 Advanced Nutrition Education*	3
PH 706 Perspectives on Community and Behavioral Health*	3
PH 703 Environmental Health Sciences	3
Other required NUTR courses as approved by faculty advisor, (excluding NUTR 795 and NUTR 796)	Varies
Other required PH Core courses as approved by faculty advisor, (excluding PH 790 and PH 800)	Varies

*Courses shown in the 5-year sample plan. Deviation from these selections may prevent the completion of the program in the time frame shown. 

Graduate level-classes eligible for back-sharing (23 required; 26 max) to satisfy BS Nutritional Sciences requirements 

MPH Courses	Credits	BS Requirement Satisfied
NUTR 555G Public Health Nutrition & Food Politics	3	NUTR 305 Hunger at Home
NUTR 721 Medical Nutrition Therapy I	4	NUTR 435 Nutrition & Disease Prevention
Any required Field Experience course (i.e., PH 790, NUTR 795, NUTR 796)	3	NUTR 470 Nutritional Sciences Capstone Experience
Any required NUTR course (not used to satisfy one of the above requirements nor forward shared)	6	Additional upper level NUTR 300+ coursework
Any required PH course required for the MPH-Nutrition and Dietetics program except PH 800	7	Elective credits

Please note: All courses are subject to change. Please consult the Academic Catalog for the most up-to-date information.

Admission to the Accelerated Graduate Degree Program

Step 1 – Accelerated program entry 

Apply internally to the Zilber College of Public Health (ZCPH) to begin taking graduate-level classes while still an undergraduate. 

• Purpose: Demonstrates readiness for graduate coursework. 
• Benefit: Allows specific graduate courses to “forward share” toward MPH degree requirements. 
• Timing: Usually in the 3rd year of undergraduate study, at least one semester before enrolling in graduate courses. 

Eligibility requirements for Step 1 

• Cumulative UWM GPA of 2.75 or higher 
• Completion (or in progress) of these courses with a grade of C or better, including any transfer work: 
  • NUTR 110, 235, 245  
  • BIOSCI 150, 202, 203 
  • PSYCH 101 or SOC 101 
  • CHEM 103 or CHEM 341 
  • MATH 105 or MATH 108 
  • KIN 270 or MTHSTAT 215 
  • COMMUN 103 

Application process for Step 1 

• Complete an online form provided by the Zilber College of Public Health’s BS Nutritional Sciences Advisor  
  • Due mid-March (if wanting to enroll in graduate courses in fall) 
  • Due in mid-October (if wanting to enroll in graduate courses in spring) 

Admissions review for Step 1

• The ZCPH BS Nutritional Sciences advisor, in consultation with the MPH-Nutrition & Dietetics Program Director, will determine if you meet the eligibility requirements. 

Next steps, if approved 

• Work closely with your advisor to select the right graduate-level courses for the upcoming semester. 
• Complete an MPH-Nutrition & Dietetics program orientation. 
• You must earn a B or better in any graduate-level course you plan to forward-share into the MPH program. 
• Step 1 approval is required to apply for Step 2.

Note: Approval for Step 1 does not guarantee admission to Step 2 – Graduate admission.

Step 2 – Graduate admission to the MPH-Nutrition & Dietetics program 

Students who successfully complete Step 1 may apply for conditional admission to the graduate phase of the MPH-Nutrition & Dietetics program. Conditional admission confirms eligibility while ensuring all remaining undergraduate and prerequisite requirements will be met.  

• Purpose: demonstrate readiness to enter the graduate phase of the program 
• Benefit: allows certain graduate courses to “backwards share” to satisfy BS degree requirements 
• Timing: if admitted to Step 1, the Nutritional Sciences Advisor will provide guidance about when to apply for Step 2 

Eligibility requirements for Step 2

• At least 97 credits completed before starting graduate status 
• Cumulative UWM GPA of 2.75 or higher  
• All GERs finished (or in progress) at the time of application 
• All BS Nutritional Sciences requirements completed – or in progress – (except those to be satisfied by backward-shared credits)  
• Grade of C or better in all prerequisite courses from the Step 1 list plus the following: 
  • BIOSCI 101 
  • HS 222 
  • Chemistry sequence through biochemistry 
  • It is acceptable for some courses to be progress at the time of application (including any transfer work).

Advising staff will conduct an evaluation of each student’s progress to determine if they are eligible for Step 2.   

Application process for Step 2

• Apply to the BS Nutritional Sciences/MPH-Nutrition and Dietetics AGD via Slate (UWM Graduate School application system) 
  • Due December 1 (if seeking to begin graduate status the next fall semester) 
  • Due October 1 (if seeking to begin graduate status the next spring semester) 
• Submit official transcripts for any prerequisite courses completed (or in progress) outside of UWM 
• Respond to the following essay prompts (approximately 250-300 words each):  
  • Describe how your professional goals led you to apply to UWM’s accelerated BS Nutritional Sciences/Master of Public Health-Nutrition and Dietetics Graduate Program. 
  • Based on your personal background and life experiences, discuss how you can make a unique contribution to the field of public health, nutrition, and dietetics. 
• Provide two professional references using a program-provided form 
  • References should be provided from a NUTR course instructor and from someone other than a NUTR course instructor (e.g., work/volunteer supervisor, instructor from another discipline, etc., but not a personal reference such as a friend or family member). 
  • References will be asked to comment on the student’s academic strengths and weaknesses, readiness and suitability for an accelerated MPH program, and potential to contribute to the field of public health, nutrition, and dietetics. 
• Provide a timeline for completing any remaining prerequisite coursework using a program-provided form 

Note: Students applying to this program do not need to apply through DICAS (the centralized dietetic program application system).

Admissions review for Step 2

The MPH-Nutrition and Dietetics Admissions Committee will use the same holistic applicant evaluation process as is applied to other candidates in the typical admissions cycle taking into consideration academic performance, essay quality, and professional references.  

Students will be informed within about 4 weeks of the application deadline if they have been conditionally accepted into the graduate phase of the program.  

Next steps, if approved

• You will continue taking MPH-Nutrition and Dietetics program coursework and following your plan of study. 
• Continue working with your advisor to confirm how backward-shared credits will complete your BS requirements. 

If not accepted or if you discontinue

• If not admitted to Step 2, you may resume your BS Nutritional Sciences studies and apply to the traditional 2-year MPH program later, if desired. Your Advisor will assist you in adjusting your plan of study. 
• If you want to discontinue the accelerated graduate degree program, you can resume your studies as a BS Nutritional Sciences student. Notify your Advisor and MPH-Nutrition & Dietetics Program Director as soon as possible so they can help adjust your plan of study. 
• Complete any remaining BS Nutritional Sciences requirements not satisfied by credit-sharing to earn your undergraduate degree.  

If you are interested in a program that will prepare you to become a registered dietitian nutritionist, you have come to the right place. Learn about state licensure and the process of becoming a registered dietitian.

Career outlook

The job outlook is bright for future registered dietitian nutritionists! According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of jobs for dietitians and nutritionists is expected to increase 6% between 2024 and 2034.

This growth is fueled by an increasing recognition of the critical role that diet and nutrition-related factors play in the prevention and treatment of disease, and in optimizing health, well-being, and performance. Nutrition and dietetic professionals also examine how individuals and populations can navigate a complex food culture, accommodate diverse dietary needs and rich food traditions, and work to reduce health disparities and advance health equity.  

Nutrition and dietetics professionals often find employment in hospitals, government and non-profit agencies, schools, worksite wellness programs, and many other settings.